{"id":4402231485762,"date":"2026-04-29T10:06:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T14:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/?p=4402231485762"},"modified":"2026-05-07T11:55:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T15:55:07","slug":"inflation-cuts-tax-changes-a-tough-year-takes-center-stage-at-afp-icon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.philanthropy.com\/news\/inflation-cuts-tax-changes-a-tough-year-takes-center-stage-at-afp-icon\/","title":{"rendered":"Inflation, Cuts, Tax Changes: A Tough Year Takes Center Stage at AFP Icon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The radical drop in federal funding last year. Military actions in the Middle East. Surging gas prices and high inflation. Nonprofits must raise money in a world that is brittle, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible, or BANI, as Jamais Cascio refers to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jamais Cascio<\/a>, co-author of the book Navigating the Age of Chaos,<\/em> discussed the difficult landscape fundraisers are trying to negotiate during the keynote for the Association of Fundraising Professionals conference, held in San Diego earlier this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe world can be brutal and vulnerable to sudden collapse,\u201d Cascio said during the address. \u201cSystems may seem strong until they hit a breaking point, and then they collapse. And we’ve seen this time and again with systems that we thought we could rely on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Positive Framework to Deal With Change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cascio\u2019s outlook, he noted, can feel disempowering, so he and his co-author created a framework to help people cope. They call it BANI positive: bendable in a brutal world; attentive with empathy and kindness; neuroflexible and able to improvise; and interconnected with peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we can do is figure out how to strengthen ourselves to be able to adapt, to be able to figure out ways to make things better to alleviate some of the issues,\u201d Cascio says. \u201cIt is a really important way of thinking about the world because what it tells us is that we can have a little bit of hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Related Content<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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4 of the Best Hacks for Fundraisers and Leaders From AFP Icon<\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The theme of navigating radical change came up in sessions throughout the conference, which covered topics such as federal funding shifts, tax law changes, and the need to reach a wider array of donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One panel addressed the challenges of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion under the current administration.\u201cNonprofits have been facing increased scrutiny for using equity language,\u201d said Frank Vel\u00e1squez Jr., founder of 4 Da Hood. \u201cBoards are panicking. Funders are getting nervous. They\u2019re saying, \u2018Go back to safer language. Stop making people feel uncomfortable.\u2019\u201d Despite these concerns, Vel\u00e1squez said, nonprofits have to \u201ctalk honestly about communities we work with.\u201d His co-panelist, Rachel D\u2019Souza, founder of Gladiator Consulting, acknowledged that the work can be scary, but nonprofits have to join forces and \u201cdecide to be brave together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big changes to the tax law<\/a> have introduced another element of uncertainty this year. While the prospects of drawing in new everyday donors with a tax break for those who take the standard deduction is a bonus, some of the tax changes could dampen giving by bigger donors and corporations, said Sally Schaeffer, a lobbyist who works with nonprofits. In her session about recent shifts in federal policy, Schaeffer noted it\u2019s important for nonprofits to make clear to legislators how their organizations help the local community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schaeffer said every member of Congress has someone in their district office that focuses on federal grants. Nonprofit staff who are constituents should introduce themselves to that person. One attendee, consultant Anthony Petchel, said talking to legislators can help educate them but also can offer a chance to connect with donors. When he worked at a nonprofit, Petchel invited a donor to a meeting with a legislator to discuss issues related to homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legislators take note when you bring a donor; they are very interested in having a  constituent in the meeting, he said. \u201cIt allowed us to have a deeper conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the meeting, Petchel stayed in touch with the donor and offered updates on the status of the legislation. His ongoing outreach made the donor feel more committed to the cause, and she moved from five-figure giving to six-figure giving, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018We Have the Capacity\u2019  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One first-time attendee at the conference, Rich Cole, director of fund development from Jobs for Ohio Graduates, just got into fundraising four months ago. Despite the focus on so many challenges, Cole is upbeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019d heard the term BANI before but was excited to hear about the positive version of the framework. \u201cIt’s really easy to slip into talking about how awful things are and let that be the entirety of the conversation,\u201d Cascio said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have the capacity, nature has the capacity, to accept dramatic change, accept chaos and evolve with it, and flourish. I want us to think about how we can flourish in a world of chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Among the other topics covered at the Association of Fundraising Professionals conference were federal funding shifts and the need to reach a wider array of donors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":365184,"featured_media":4402231487771,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","cop_editorial_slug":"News-Childress-AFP-Adapters","cop_asana_id":"1214138546562863","editorial_asana_id":"","editorial_doc_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81925],"issue":[],"profile":[],"role":[191050],"series":[],"topic":[192026],"coauthors":[189974],"class_list":{"0":"post-4402231485762","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-news","8":"role-fundraising","9":"topic-fundraising-from-individuals","11":"has-featured-image"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nInflation, Cuts, Tax Changes: A Tough Year Takes Center Stage at AFP Icon – 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